Apple's iOS 12 has been unveiled at WWDC 2018 with new features, and performance improvements.

At the ongoing annual developer conference (WWDC 2018), Apple has unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system. As you can guess, the new version Is called iOS 12. While the latest iOS brings in new features, Apple has said that it has really focused on the performance side of things.

All about Performance

As Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said on stage, the company has literally doubled down on the performance bit on iOS 12. In fact, the company claims that on iOS 12, apps open up to two times faster, and the share sheet too opens up to two times faster.

As far as compatibility is concerned, the new iOS 12 will be available on all the devices that were compatible with last year’s iOS 11. Apple is also giving love to older devices, with the new iOS optimized to work on older and less powerful devices. For example, iOS 12 on the Apple iPhone 6 Plus enables apps to open 40 percent faster, and the keyboard app too opens 50 percent faster.

New Features

In line with previous rumors, Apple is improving the Augmented Reality capabilities with the announcement of ARKit 2.0. One of the improvements includes the unveiling of a new file format called USDZ. This file format lets users share stuff in the AR world with friends via apps like Safari and iMessage.

There’s a new Measure app on iOS 12, which as the name suggests, allows you to measure stuff in the real world through the AR world. The Photos app too has been improved with suggestions for people detected in a photo. We must admit, this new feature seems quite similar to what Google Photos offers.

Smarter Siri

Siri is also improving with iOS 12, and one of the new features it gets is called Shortcuts. This new feature lets users add their own commands for Siri, and associate them with different apps. As an example, Apple showcased how you could use a command like “Hey Siri, I lost my keys,” and the voice assistant will alert the tiny gadget via the Tile app. While interesting, we will need to wait and see how Shortcuts work in real-life, especially in countries like India.

Memoji

Last year, Apple introduced Animojis for the social media crazy generation. This year, it is adding new Animojis like friendly ghost, Koala, and T-Rex. But, Apple is also taking this feature a step further with what it calls Memoji. This new feature essentially lets you make you Animojis that look like you. There are a range of customization options for your online avatar.

Group FaceTime

This is one feature that has been expected for a long time. With Group FaceTime, you can video chat with as many as 32 contacts. The on-stage demo was quite smooth, and the feature will work on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. While chatting, the tile of the person speaking subtle becomes larger than the rest. Alternatively, you can double-tap on a tile to make it bigger. And yes, Memojis work on Group FaceTime as well.

Digital Health

Apple, and other tech companies, have recently focused on users’ digital health. Just like the recently announced Android P, iOS 12 too has a new digital health app. Do Not Disturb gets more powerful and you won’t be barraged with notifications when sleeping. Other features include limiting screen time for yourself or your children or even limiting app usage time.